“I’m at number four,” Korbin said.

Retter used his thermal imaging scope to sweep over the north bank, looking for a heat signature from the next flash. He told Rae, “You keep watch for the flash; I’m going to take a look at Korbin’s position.”

“I’m on it.” She swept her rifle systematically across the opposite bank.

“Number four disarmed,” Korbin said a minute later, calm and controlled.

Retter watched Korbin’s heat signature swing toward the last bomb, his body fully exposed.

A shot pierced the night.

Rae called into the headset, “Second floor, two o’clock from the bridge.”

Korbin’s body jerked. He cursed. The bullet had hit him.

“How bad are you?” Retter called.

“I’ll make it,” Korbin ground out.

Rae held her weapon steady, watching.

The next shot hit a steel beam on the bridge, then she fired and cursed. “He moved. Drake, you got him?”

Shots echoed, striking metal… then no ping against metal.

Korbin cursed, livid. He’d been hit again, but there was nothing any of them could do except find the shooter.

A shot exploded from the other bank. “Got the fucker,” Drake called out. “Terminated.”

Korbin stopped moving forward on the bridge. He was at the last bomb. Retter checked his watch. Seventy seconds until 10:00 PM. If the bullet wounds hadn’t incapacitated Korbin, Retter estimated he could disarm the last bomb in sixty seconds, maybe less-

“Last one’s activating,” Korbin yelled. “Get away from the bridge.”

Rae swung around and ran toward the damn bridge.

Retter ran after her, yelling, “Rae!”

She looked back at Retter. The explosion threw her off her feet sideways.

Retter stumbled, watching in disbelief. The far end of the bridge shot up in the air, twisting, powerful steel sections wrenching and screeching. Windows of towering buildings on that side of the river blew into the offices. The smell of chemicals and sulfur stung the air. Concrete foundation buckled on the north side of the bridge.

The mangled half of the bridge that had lifted up hung suspended for an eerie second, then crashed downward, slamming the Chicago River.

Displaced water exploded upward, a violent wave busting over the bank.

Silence followed so suddenly it was jarring.

Rae jumped up from where she’d fallen, screaming, “Korbin!” She started running for the bridge. “Korbin!”

Retter dove and tackled her to the ground. “Stop, dammit.”

“What happened to Korbin?” She rolled over, fought him, beating his arms away, but Retter wouldn’t let go.

“We’ve got agents on the other side, Rae.”

She finally stopped fighting him. Her breaths came out ragged in the grip of agony, but she nodded. “Right. Call ‘em.”

Retter let her up and jumped to his feet. She’d lost her earpiece when she went down. He spoke into the mic and had to cup his ear to hear. “North bank report. Where are you?” He listened, then slowly turned to look across the river.

Rae stepped forward, eyes tracking toward the same spot as if she could will the answer she wanted.

Sunn flicked a light on and off to pinpoint his position on the north bank.

She grabbed Retter’s arm. “What about-”

“Where’s Korbin?” Retter listened. His mouth dried out. He pulled his hand down from his ear and looked at her. “Rae-”

She swung a look at him that started out hopeful, then reflected the horror he felt.

“He didn’t make it off the bridge,” Retter said, repeating what he’d been told. “Jeremy saw Korbin swinging up to the last bomb, then the shooter… we’ll get divers-”

“No! Get rescue. He. Is. Not. Dead!” she yelled.

“It’s not possible that he could have survived-”

She turned her weapon on him. “Get the goddamn helicopters and water rescue now!”

He grabbed her, stripping her weapon away only because she was too wrapped up in shock over Korbin’s death to be a threat right then. She fought him, screaming to let her go find Korbin. She wanted blood.

So did Retter. He understood the blinding pain of loss.

He could knock her out, but he wouldn’t do that to Rae in front of agents she’d still have to work with. What he did next would cause her almost as much humiliation, but he had no choice.

Folding her arms in front of her, he wrapped her up in his, holding her tight. He felt the minute she broke.

Not big sobbing tears, just a hard shuddering.

Korbin had saved thousands. But he couldn’t have survived.

BAD would make someone pay for taking one of their own.

Hunter accepted the hand Mako offered him and climbed up over the edge of the cliff, then took five steps. “Where is she?”

Abbie shot out of the darkness. “Are you okay?” She launched into Hunter’s arms, trembling.

“I’m fine.” He hugged her close, amazed at the feeling. He wanted this. Wanted her, but he’d screwed up so badly Joe and Tee might bury him.

“She’s gotta go now, Hunter,” Mako said. “Got a helicopter landing to pick up her and Jackson. I slowed the blood flow, but he’s thready. Might not make it to the medical center.”

“He talking at all?” Hunter asked, loath to release Abbie, though he knew he had to in order to have any hope of saving her and her mother.

“Talking his head off in trade for pain medicine, especially after I cut the circulation off to his hand.” A sound came out of Mako’s throat that reverberated with disgust. “Not so dangerous when you take his rifle away.”

Hunter wanted to know one thing. “He tell you what he gave Abbie and her mother?”

“Not yet.”

Abbie shook from shock and cold.

Hunter hugged her, turning her toward the helicopter.

“Sorry, Hunter. Joe said you had to stay with me.”

Abbie looked up at Hunter. “Who are these people and why can’t you come with me?”

He gripped her hand for an extra second, then pulled her into his arms and kissed her. This might be his last chance. When he broke the kiss, he cupped her face. “I can’t tell you-”

“Dammit,” she shouted, and backed out of his arms as though he had leprosy. “I trusted you! With my life. With my mother’s life. And you can’t trust me with anything?”

“Abbie, you don’t understand.”

“You’re right, I don’t. You said you-” She shook her head, refusing to repeat his words.

He’d told her he loved her. He did.

She looked over at Stoner, one of the two extra agents Joe had sent. “Are you taking me back?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She nodded and walked over to Stoner.

Hunter cursed himself a thousand times over for letting things get so out of shape with Joe that he couldn’t leave with Abbie, because Mako would use his weapon if necessary. “Abbie, wait.”

She swung around, eyes fiery with a level of disappointment he’d never expected. “I’m through waiting. I’ve waited and waited for you to give me an inch. Love is important, but it’s nothing without trust.” She glanced at Mako. “I appreciate every one of you helping to get that genetic mistake to the medical center for my mother, but I’m done with all this.”

Looking back one last time at Hunter, she added, “Go back to your secret life. I can’t live that way.”

His insides withered at the finality in her voice. She was done with him and he couldn’t blame her. His lack of trust had smacked her every time she’d offered her trust in return. If he hadn’t alienated his team she wouldn’t have walked into the lair of an assassin and ended up dangling off the side of a mountain.

With a ticking bomb.

Abbie disappeared into the darkness with Stoner.

“How’d you find JC?” Mako asked Hunter once Abbie and Stoner were out of earshot.

Talking would be easier without a knot of disappointment in his throat. Hunter coughed to clear his voice. “The guy with the scar.” He stopped and wheeled on Mako. “Did you find him on your way up the path, about halfway?”